Fears are mounting for the safety of the 61-year-old father and grandfather, who went missing from his Tomakin Place home around midnight on Sunday.

Far South Coast Local Area Command Crime Manager, Inspector Kevin McNeil, yesterday confirmed Mr Jeacle was last sighted near Congo, earlier this week.

Despite the challenges posed by the area’s rugged terrain, Inspector McNeil said it was vital to follow leads, before the trail ran cold.

“The more information police receive quickly, the better,” he said.

“As time goes on there is a greater concern for Mr Jeacle’s welfare, but without leads it’s hard to know where to search.”

Inspector McNeil declined to comment on Mr Jeacle’s mental health, but said: “If people don’t want to be found, they’re not going to be found.”

He said that unless a person was equipped with a GPS device or alarm, it was extremely difficult to find them in the bush, particularly if they were ill.

However, police launched a comprehensive search of the area on Monday, using helicopters, trail bikes and officers on foot.

Eurobodalla SES unit controller Alan Mitchell said eight volunteers conducted a search of the Congo area on Tuesday under the direction of police.

He said fears for the Canberra businessman were growing, although he appeared to have access to money, food and water.

“If he didn’t have any money, food or water, then obviously it would be imperative for us to get to him before he dehydrates,” Mr Mitchell said.

“However, we believe that he has money, we believe that he could access tank water and vegetables from people’s gardens if he wanted to, so he could stay in a survival mode in that area for some time.”

Weather should not be an issue, provided Mr Jeacle takes shelter from the elements.

“The weather is benign assuming he has access to water, food and shelter, and there is plenty of all of that in the area we searched,” he said.

“We just don’t know whether he is in that area, or if he has moved out of that area; all we know is that he was there.”

Mr Jeacle is father to three children, aged 12, 38 and 39, and is the managing director of Canberra-based electronic data company Byteload Pty Ltd.

On Tuesday his ex-wife, Naomi Jeacle, described his disappearance as “very out of character”.

Mrs Jeacle said one of Mr Jeacle’s daughters was with him on the day he disappeared.

“She said he had been behaving a bit erratically that day,” Mrs Jeacle said.

“It’s just very unusual circumstances.”

Police believe Mr Jeacle left home on foot, but Eurobodalla SES member Michael Beby thinks that perhaps he has hitchhiked south.

“He could be at Narooma by now,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of waiting for more information and reports to surface.”

Mr Beby urged shire residents to pay attention if their dogs barked through the night, or if food wasmissing from their property.

“At the moment it is like looking for a needle in a hay stack,” he said.

“But, I’m confident we will find him.”